"When I grow up, I'm going to be just like Albert Pujols and be the 1st baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals." "I'm going to be just like Frank Thomas and play for the Chicago White Sox when I grow up." "When I grow up, I'm going to be a famous female figure skater, just like Tara Lipinski or Michelle Kwan.

Most children dream of becoming the next American sports hero. However, only a few will reach the apex they dreamed as a child. Children become parents, parents who had unfulfilled childhood dreams. As parents they often try to have those childhood dreams fulfilled through their children. They are confident that their help and encouragement will allow their child to become the next Marino, Thomas, or Yamaguchi. Unfortunately, dreams such as these are often entirely the parents' and not the child's. Parents become unreasonable, pushing their children to the point of excessiveness. The child ends up paying a heavy, emotional price for parental perfectionism.

The Original Purpose of Sports

Elementary children in the United States have had the opportunity to participate in competitive sports since the 1850s when the YMCA was organized. The Public School Athletic League was started in New York City as early as 1903. Programs such as these were designed to include different competition categories for children with a variety of athletic skills, thus giving every child the opportunity to participate.

According to Nelson, the fundamental principles of these programs are still

Applicable today. "Sports participation was designed to achieve a sense of enjoyment, well-being, and competence." He cautions "A shift away from these ideals toward intense competition, winning, and a system